Warning: pay hike may force schools to raise fees
Nehawu says the government is planning to offer below-inflation increases and reduce the number of public servants in order to cut its wage bill
As the government and public servants gear up for what is set to be tough wage negotiations, the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (Fedsas) has warned that a big pay hike for state-employed teachers would force many public schools to increase their fees. School governing bodies currently employ more than 50,000 educators and 100,000 noneducators, according to Fedsas. Since their take-home pay is typically benchmarked against that of state employees, any increase in public servants’ compensation would have a knock-on effect on schools, said Fedsas deputy CEO Jaco Deacon. “It is very difficult for schools to match the salary the state pays: we try to match the take-home pay, but not the benefits. These people do the same work, so if [state-employed teachers] get a 12% increase, there is an expectation that they get the same, and schools will not be able to afford it. It will hit the pockets of the parents,” he said.
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